Better stock up on the chicken soup: Flu season is well underway in Stark County.

So far this season about 290 people in Stark County have been reported as testing positive for the flu, according to Christina Henning, epidemiologist at the Canton City Board of Health.

And as of Sunday, 109 Stark County residents had been reported as hospitalized for flu-related reasons.All Stark County hospitals have visitation restrictions in response to the flu.

Visitors younger than age 14 are not permitted, as children can often carry the virus without showing symptoms, said Dr. Margaret Kobe, an infectious disease physician who works with both Aultman Hospital and Mercy Medical Center.

H1N1 IS BACK

The majority of flu viruses identified this season by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been a strain of Influenza A, H1N1, the same strain that caused a pandemic in 2009.

H1N1 tends to affect children and young and middle-aged adults more than older adults. So far this season, 61 percent of people reported as hospitalized for the flu have been between 18 and 64 years old, according to the CDC.

Patients in Stark County have ranged in age from months old to more than 90 years old. The median age of flu patients was 33, a concern as the rate of infection among the adult population is higher than expected, Henning said via e-mail.

"In a typical season we traditionally find elevated rates of diagnosed influenza among the very young and the very old," she said.

Flu vaccines available this year protect against H1N1, according to the CDC.

The majority of those hospitalized in Stark County — 88 percent — had primarily Type A influenza, Henning said.

The Ohio Department of Health confirmed at two strains of Type A are circulating in Ohio. The remaining 12 percent had either Type B influenza or a combination of both; it is possible to have both Type A and Type B influenza at the same time or in the same season, she said.

Both the trivalent (three strain) and quadravelent (four strain) flu vaccines available this year protect against the Type A strains currently circulating, she said.

While the specific Type B strain circulating Ohio has not been identified yet, two Type B strains have been identified by the CDC as circulating nationally. Both of those strains are part of the quadravelent vaccine, Henning said.

SYMPTOMS

The flu, a viral infection that commonly affects the respiratory track, often strikes suddenly.

"(People) feel fine one day and the next day they're in bed," Kobe said.

The virus is marked by classic symptoms: Fever, chills, severe head and muscle aches, coughing, sore throat and congestion. "People just overall feel terrible," she said.

Page 2 of 3 - Flu symptoms are similar but more severe than those of a cold, and a cold isn't often accompanied by a fever, she said.

If you think you have the flu, you should contact your doctor as soon as possible. People die from influenza, she said.

There are medications that can help counteract the virus, but they need to be started within 48 hours to be effective, Kobe said.

PREVENTION

The flu is very contagious, especially for those with weakened immune systems, so if you're sick, stay home. You're better off not attending family functions, school or work — places where you'd spread the disease, Kobe said.

The CDC also recommends washing your hands; not sharing linens or eating utensils with a sick person without washing them first; and cleaning and disinfecting commonly-touched surfaces at home, work and school, especially if someone is ill.

The best way to avoid getting sick is to get a flu shot, Kobe said.

For the first time, a new quadravelent flu vaccine is available that protects against four different viruses, she said. Previous vaccines only protected against three strains.

There is also a new vaccine available for those who are allergic to eggs. That vaccine isn't readily available but can be ordered for a patient who can't otherwise get a flu shot because of an allergy, she said.

It's not too late to get a flu shot for this year; the vaccine is recommended for anyone age six months and older, she said.

While it's hard to predict how effective a flu shot will be each season, those with the shot have a definite advantage, she said. Even if you get the flu, it likely won't be as severe a case, she said.

The Canton City Health Department is not planning any special flu shot clinics, Henning said.

"You can get the flu shot on practically every street corner," she joked, referencing the shot's availability at most drug stores and pharmacies.

According to the CDC's HealthMap Vaccine Finder, the flu shot is available at Rite Aid, Walgreens, CVS, Kmart, Discount Drug Mart and Target pharmacies.

Flu shots are available at the Stark County Health Department by appointment; call 330-493-9914, ext. 241 for information.

Reach Jessica at 330-580-8322

On Twitter: @jholbrookREP

Feeling under the weather? It could be the flu. According to Dr. Margaret Kobe, an infectious disease physician who works with both Aultman Hospital and Mercy Medical Center, common flu symptoms include:

• Fever, often with chills

• Severe headache

• Malaise (a general sick feeling)

• Muscle aches

• Non-productive cough

• Sore throat

Page 3 of 3 - • Congestion

• In some cases (mostly children), vomiting and diarrhea, according to the Stark County Health Department.

Stark County hospitals have enacted visitation restrictions in response to flu season.

As of Jan. 2, visitors younger than 14 are not permitted "because early flu and cold symptoms are not always apparent in this age group."

According to a notice from Aultman Hospital, in certain circumstances some young visitors may be given special consideration by the charge nurse.

Hospitals are also discouraging those with typical cold and flu symptoms from visiting patients.